


accidental acquisition

by jupiterrism



Category: Bumilangit Cinematic Universe, Gundala (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, M/M, i mean pengkor doesnt die, i wrote this aiming for at least 2k words but ends up with 3k something, no beta we post like illiterates, well shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 00:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21329611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jupiterrism/pseuds/jupiterrism
Summary: In which Desti Nikita adopts Ridwan Bahri and Haidar is an exasperated dad.
Relationships: Haidar Subandi (Pengkor)/Ridwan Bahri
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	accidental acquisition

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Haidar takes a deep breath, letting crisp air fills his lungs — it's a luxury for him to wake up to a quiet house, no shrieking, no yelling.

No shrieking, no yelling.

Haidar startles out of his bed, already getting on his feet because a quiet house is impossible to have when you have 7 children under your supervision. At times like this, Haidar regrets purchasing a huge mansion rather than a homey apartment unit — but his children are way too active and has a penchant in running around the place.

"Desti? Jenar?" he calls out, looking around from room to room. Their bedroom is empty, and so is Cantika's room. His oldest of the bunch is usually sensible,  _ more _ sensible that the rest, and Cantika makes a great sister figure.

But she's nowhere to find as well.

Haidar passes Kanigara's room, which he shares with Jack, and it's empty as well. The next room — empty. The boys are not fast asleep and it's a recipe for a disaster if the children are all in the same place.

A high-pitched giggle turns into a shriek, followed by several lower pitched cackles coming from the backyard and Haidar is already on the move, as fast as his leg would let him. He knows his children are great, they would never hurt each other, but still — they're  _ children.  _ The last time he heard giggles like that, Jenar ended up crying because Adi accidentally bashed her head with his violin. Haidar didn't understand how it could be an accident — though Adi looked apologetic afterwards.

The backyard is all muddy, because it was raining the whole day, and they're all  _ wrestling _ , to Haidar's horror.  _ Wrestling _ on the grass and getting mud all over themselves. Cantika and Tanto are on the side, giggling to themselves and cheering for their siblings. Adi is rolling around with Kanigara and Jenar, while Desti and Jack are sitting together, playing with a lump of dirt and mud.

It's only through a practice that Haidar doesn't curse, though it's already on the tip of his tongue, and instead of grumbling, he lifts both hands and lets out a piercing whistle. Several cries and one yelled out protest brings a grin to Haidar's face but he carefully masks his face into a disappointed frown as he approaches them.

"Kalian lagi ngapain, main kok main kotor-kotoran," Haidar calls out over multiple gleeful cries of "Bapak!" and one enthusiastic hug from Cantika. With a muffled groan, he kneels down to return her hug properly, his other arm around Tanto. The rest are running towards them as well but they stop in their tracks as Haidar sends them a warning glare — not the right time to get dirty.

"Pak, lapar," Cantika murmurs against his shoulder and there is a growl coming from someone's stomach. He guesses it's Jack, because he looks sheepish all of a sudden. Haidar pats her back, untangling himself from them but lets Tanto and Cantika cling on his hands.

"Kalian berdua bantuin adik-adik kalian mandi. Bapak masak sarapan dulu, oke?" When the answers he gets are mulish glare, Haidar sighs heavily. Why did he teach his children to be so stubborn? "Nanti habis sarapan kita pergi."

The effect is immediate. Desti and Kanigara brighten up instantly, already flocking their siblings back towards home and with a chuckle, Haidar follows closely behind them, making sure they're not distracted. Adi and Jenar still look a tad peevish, avoiding each other like plagues, but Jack is hovering close to Haidar.

"Mau kemana, Pak?" He peers up, and Haidar would hold his hand if he's not covered with mud.

"Piknik?" It was several weeks ago when Jenar and Kanigara whined to him — they wanted a picnic, because there was a new park nearby, but Haidar had rejected the idea. They were sulking for weeks. "Kapan hari Jenar dan Kanigara pengen pergi piknik, bukan?"

He couldn't hear their response because they're suddenly cheering out, drowning any answers coming from Jack, but he could feel their excitement. A smile gracing his lips, and as he gives Tanto's hand a squeeze, maybe a day out is good for him too.

.&.

The bath is, predictably, a mess after the bunch got out of it. Haidar has to sidestep a puddle on the supposedly dry floor outside the bathroom when he's about to call the children downstairs for breakfast.

"Cantika," he huffs, and his eldest only beams at him. "Adik-adik kamu ngapain aja, kok satu  _ hallway _ bisa basah semua kaya gini."

Cantika shrugs unrepentantly, bright smile grazing her lips. Haidar would've thought she won't be excited at the sudden day out, but she turns out to be the most eager. They walk side by side downstairs, Haidar instinctively clutching Cantika's hand. 

"Biasa, Pak. Susah tau, nyuruh anak-anak mandi tanpa bikin banjir." Cantika huffs as Haidar snorts at her — the way she calls her siblings 'kids' as if she didn't just turn 11 a week ago is just amusing to see.

"Kamu juga masih anak-anak kali," Haidar chuckles, playfully rapping his knuckles against her forehead. She scowls at him but goes to sit down on the dining table, joining her siblings. Haidar gives Desti's head a pat and he slips past their chairs over a chorus of 'Bapak!' coming from the rest.

How do people do picnic anyway? Haidar knows nothing of it — his parents were standoffish before they died, and Haidar spent his youth in an orphanage before he dragged himself out and made money for himself. Watching his children chatter over breakfast, Haidar is glad he's able to make them happy. He wants them to turn out better than him — he'll do anything to ensure it.

He is in the middle of cutting a sandwich into four smaller pieces when small hands are tugging his elbow. It's Jenar in all her glory and she tiptoes to pack the small sandwiches into a plasticware. "Jenar mau bantu," she says solemnly, catching Haidar's questioning glance at her. "Adi berisik."

Sure enough, a small squabble erupts in the dining table. It must be Adi — he's wheezing so loud Haidar is afraid he's going to get an asthma attack. Cantika's stern voice could be heard over the shrieks, so Haidar figures they're safe with her.

"Makasih udah bantuin Bapak,  _ nduk _ ." With a smile, Haidar bends down to press a kiss on the top of her head. Her cheeks are flushed pink as he pulls away, but she harrumphs and continues to pack the rest of the food.

Haidar wipes his hand clean with a towel before he looks around, leaving Jenar with the food. She's reliable for a 7 year old, steadier than the rest of her siblings — maybe except Cantika. "Tanto," he calls out, and his son beams at him before he makes his way towards him, "bantuin Jenar, ya, Bapak mau siap-siap dulu."

The boy offers him a sloppy salute over his grin and as Haidar watches him go to help Jenar, he feels a poke against his thigh. "Ada apa,  _ nduk _ ?" It's Desti, and when Haidar kneels down, his children congregate around him.

"Kapan berangkat, Pak?" She all but whines and throws herself into him, the weight causing him to grunt and wobble dangerously. His arms are around the 5 year old in no time, pulling her into a hug. They’re getting bigger, his children. There was a time where he can carry them by their scruffs or tuck them under his armpits. 

"Bapak mau siap-siap dulu, habis itu kita berangkat. Kalian beres-beres meja makan lalu tunggu di ruang tamu." Leaving a fleeting kiss on the side of her head, Haidar plucks Desti off him and sets her on the floor, despite her pout. "Cantika," he addresses the eldest, "jagain adik-adik kamu, ya?"

Haidar gets one solemn nod from her before he leaves them to sort themselves out. He wishes that Kamal is around to help him, or maybe Swarabatin or Sam. Or even Ganda, and while that man often acts like a bumbling fool around his children, he can at least cook something that suits his children's palate. 

There is a distant screech back at the kitchen, followed by a shriek and Haidar wonders if it’s too late to look for a babysitter.

.&.

It’s a good day to be out, Ridwan thinks wistfully. The weather is just perfect for a walk in the park, not too hot but not too cold either. Ridwan is usually drenched under his suit when he has to step out of his office, but there is enough wind to stop him from breaking into sweats. There is also more  _ green  _ across his office — wait, is that a park?

Ridwan blinks, taking in the sight in confusion — the park is sparsely populated, save for a couple of children running around, giggling. He feels a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips — they look nothing like his children who are already in their 10s but there is never a time where he doesn’t miss them. They’re happy with their mother anyway, so Ridwan tries to leave it at that.

There are food stalls scattered around the park, some of them are his favorite food. Ridwan’s mind flashes back to the stack of paper in his deck, proceedings of previous meetings, and he turns around to head towards the park. Several hours is enough for him to clear his head, no one is going to look for him.

The  _ batagor  _ is steaming inside its plastic container and Ridwan is walking around the park, looking for a bench to sit down on. It's sad how he's all alone, chewing on his  _ batagor _ and probably looking forlorn, while other people are with their children and family. It gets lonely sometimes, but Ridwan is used to it.

Sitting down on an empty bench, Ridwan lets himself take a breathe and glances up to pay attention to his surroundings. There are flowers, pink and white intertwining beautifully, and as it falls, Ridwan catches it in his palm with a smile on his face. Something rustles near him, a pair of shoes coming under his line of vision.

"Bunga." It's a girl, staring at the flower in his open palm. Her gaze is curious and she steps closer — Ridwan fears for this girl's life, to be honest. It would be bad for her to be this comfortable around strangers.

Ridwan could only chuckle at that and offers her the flower. "Kamu suka bunga?" The girl nods in excitement, carefully taking the proffered flower from him. She stares at it for a moment before taking a deep breath, trying to inhale its scent.

"Kalau bunga kaya gitu, ngga ada baunya," Ridwan hums, lips curling into a wide smile at her action. "Bunga ada baunya kalau warnanya polos. Bunga yang ini kan warna-warni,  _ tuh _ , jadinya ngga perlu ada baunya buat menarik perhatian serangga."

The little girl is staring at him with wide eyes, nodding along to his explanation. "Mau bunga lagi," she says finally, pointing at a tree from where the flowers came from.  _ Bougenville, _ he supposes, and with another laugh, Ridwan gets to his feet and starts to pluck some flowers.

"Nama kamu siapa?" Ridwan kneels down in front of her and pours the flowers into her palms, watching how she lightens up almost instantly. The grin she sends at him is blinding and she's  _ very _ adorable, with one front teeth missing.

She stares at her open palm before averting her gaze at him. Ridwan blinks as she takes a step closer and — did she just put a flower in his hair? Rather than answering him, she giggles at his confused face. "Desti," she mutters out between her giggles. Desti tucks another flower just above his ear and nods with a solemnity a children could muster. "Cantik."

With a quiet sigh, Ridwan scrubs a hand over his face, mindful of the flower lest he makes the girl cries. "Desti," he starts again, feeling suddenly wary because no child should be left unsupervised, "orang tua kamu mana?"

The girl gasps, a look of surprise crosses her face, and before Ridwan could say anything, Desti has a hand in his and  _ tugs _ . Ridwan staggers to his feet — the girl is stronger than she looks. "Di sana. Bapak di sana." She points to the general direction where her father is supposed to be at with her chin, content with dragging Ridwan around. Dropping the child to her parents and he will head back to the office — his break is almost over anyway. 

There is a small hand in Ridwan's grip and a forgotten, half-eaten  _ batagor  _ in his other hand. Desti is a quiet presence next to him, content to look around but still focused on finding her father. She doesn't chatter, unlike Ridwan's children when they were her age — it's probably the fact that he's basically a stranger to her, flowers in his hair or not.

"Kak Cantika!" Her shriek startles him a little and as she runs forward, Ridwan couldn't help but follow her, stumbling a little on his step. Another girl, probably several years older than her, runs towards Desti with her arms outstretched. Ridwan lets her hand go once he's sure she won't run into something dangerous.

"Kak Cantika! Desti bawa om!" Phrased like that, it makes Ridwan queasy but Cantika only glances at him with narrowed eyes and dissolves into a groan. 

"Desti," she sighs, squeezing the smaller girl in her arms, "udah dibilang jangan pergi sendirian. Bapak panik tau ga?" Desti seems to wither under that tone, a devastating pout taking over her features. It seems like Cantika is already immune to that, since she looks stern. Ridwan is lucky the look is not aimed at him, he won't survive.

"Tapi!" Her small hands are flapping around, gesturing towards Ridwan. "Om pakai bunga! Om ambilin Desti bunga!" Cantika's eyes grow wide at that, seemingly realizing the flowers tucked neatly above Ridwan's ears for the first time and blinks. 

"Desti," Cantika says again, more in amusement rather in annoyance, and flicks her sister's forehead. "Udah  _ ah,  _ Bapak nya—" Her words is cut short when a man approaches them, eyebrows drawn into a frown.

"Cantika, Desti udah — astaga,  _ nduk _ ." Over Desti's excited cheer of 'Bapak!', the man kneels down and bring the youngest into his arms and leaving Cantika on the side, smiling fondly at them. "Kemana aja kamu? Dicariin sampe muter-muter."

So this is Desti's father — and Cantika's too. He's big, taller than Ridwan, and half of his face is scarred as if he went through a fire. The fond smile on his lips tugs his face and turns it into something soft, and Ridwan couldn't help but smiling at the display of affection. The man twitches, realizing that Ridwan is around, and as Desti wriggles in his arms, he lets out a sigh. "Desti."

"Aku bawa om! Pakai bunga!" Desti cheers, trotting towards Ridwan before she drags him close. Ridwan feels his face heats up at that because —  _ hey _ , he has flowers in his hair. First impression matters and Ridwan fervently hopes the man doesn't think of him as a freak. Thankfully, the other man only chuckles at her, shaking his head, indulgent. The smile he aims at Ridwan is full of mirth. 

"Bawa om, ya? Kamu masih kecil gini udah bawa om-om." The beam Desti aims his way only draws a chuckle from her father, and the man gets to his feet slowly. "Kalian makan dulu sana, udah ditungguin yang lain." A pause, the man averts his gaze at Ridwan who's standing frozen on his spot. "Bapak mau ngobrol sama… 'om' dulu."

Oh no, that tone. The queasiness is back but Ridwan refuses to squirm under the weight of his gaze. Desti offers Ridwan a bright smile, waving her hand at him while she trots along Cantika, arms hooked on each other's. Their father is still staring at Ridwan, eyes cold and calculating.

"Tadi bapak bertemu Desti di mana?" the man starts, stalking forward with his hands in his pockets. His gaze is no longer cold, only curious.

Ridwan points at somewhere east, the vague direction of his office. "Saya habis beli batagor, terus duduk di sekitar sana. Tiba-tiba Desti menghampiri saya." It's a futile attempt, and Ridwan shows the man his half-eaten batagor. "Dia minta diambilin bunga, lalu saya ambilkan." He then gestures at the flowers above his ears with a sheepish grin, shrugging a shoulder.

The way Desti keeps calling him 'om' doesn't help to negate the suspicion — she was the one who get right into his personal space. Thankfully, the man only sighs and offers a hand out at him. "Maaf sudah merepotkan ya, Pak. Terima kasih sudah menemani Desti." A glance at his right hand, before the man offers Ridwan a warm smile, the kind that makes him flush a little. "Saya Haidar."

"Ridwan." The man's grip is firm, all rough palms and callused fingers, but his skin is cold despite the weather. His right hand is heavily scarred, but that doesn't deter Ridwan. No wedding ring, Ridwan realizes, so he's either divorced or a widower. "Ngga masalah, Pak. Anak bapak lucu." It's the truth — Ridwan thinks he's smiled more today because he met Desti.

Haidar is still staring at him, a fond smile curling on his lips. "Tapi kadang suka begitu, nempel sama orang asing." A laugh, laced with amusement and mirth, before he offers Ridwan a nod. "Kita lagi piknik, bapak mau ikut? Kita bawa banyak makanan." He grimaces, the expression is surprisingly… cute on him.

It startles a laugh out of Ridwan who's shaking his head. "Ah, ngga usah, Pak. Nanti saya ganggu. 'Kan ini acara bapak dengan keluarga bapak." Before Ridwan realizes it, Haidar has a hand on his back and already ushering him along.

"Ngga apa-apa, Pak, ikut saja." Ridwan thinks of his desk, the glum atmosphere in his office and —  _ just this once _ , he thinks with a smile and joins the picnic, Haidar's hand is warm on his back.

.&.

"Pak." A nudge, and Haidar knows Cantika's knowing grin without even having to see it. She's leaning against him, watching the man who found Desti —  _ Ridwan? _ — being dogpiled by her siblings with a grin. "Pak." This time, it's a whisper.

"Apa  _ to _ ,  _ nduk _ ?" It's a mistake to glance down at her because she's supporting a cheeky smile. Haidar couldn't help but pokes her nose, drawing a groan out of her.

But that doesn't stop her from wiggling her eyebrows. "Bapak naksir Pak Ridwan, ya?" Her words draw a snort out of him, despite the heat rushing to his face, and he playfully flicks her forehead.

"Anak kecil sok tau kamu ya." There is a loud groan and a gleeful shriek coming from the pile. With a chuckle, Haidar gets to his feet and starts plucking the children off the poor man. It's amusing how the man doesn't even look peeved, he looks resigned — he probably got several gremlins back at home. "Cantika, ajak adik-adik kamu main biar Pak Ridwan bisa makan."

Haidar ignores the sudden influx of giggles coming from his children and he scoots over to sit next to the other man. The kids depart with with a loud cheer, probably coming from Adi and Tanto, and a heavy breath escapes him. Ridwan, Haidar realizes, is staring at his children with something akin to a wistful smile on his lips.

"Ibu mereka — ke mana?" The other man glances at him, watching him carefully though his tone is curious. Haidar knows he means no offense and has to chuckle at that.

"Ngga tau ibu mereka ke mana," Haidar starts, already catching how Ridwan's eyes grow sympathetic at that. "Maksud saya, saya ngga tau orang tua mereka ke mana."

"Saya cuma pengen mereka punya masa kecil yang bahagia." 

Ridwan's smile is far too fond and Haidar feels himself flush under his stare, to his horror. The other man is undoubtedly handsome, his silver hair is complimenting his look, and his smile — Haidar can feel his heart takes a leap in his chest. 

There is a knowing stare aimed his way and Haidar watches Ridwan lilts forward, lips parted, and this is it, he's going to call him out for this and —

A phone rings, so loud it startles both of them into violent, twin flinches. Ridwan leans backwards — since when were they  _ this _ close? — and with several muttered curses, Ridwan pulls his phone out of his pocket. "Permisi." There is a sheepish grin on his lips and Haidar waves a hand dismissively, watching the other man scurries to answer the call.

The weather is good — cold wind blows his face, not too hard but still enough to draw a shudder out of him. Is this how it feels to be on a picnic with a family? It's…  _ nice _ , an outing with his children and Ridwan —

What?

Haidar freezes, blinking in disbelief. His brain is still in riot, apparently. It's probably the choking worry he felt when he realized that Desti was gone, it's still clouding his mind, making him think of irrational thoughts.

"Pak Haidar." A rushed voice calls out and Haidar glances up to find Ridwan grimacing at him. "Maaf sekali, saya harus kembali ke kantor." He huffs a sigh, holding his hand out towards Haidar, who stares at him blankly. "Terima kasih atas makanannya." There is a smile on his lips though his eyes are dim with disappointment. 

Haidar accepts the proffered hand —  _ he doesn't really want to let go, in all honesty _ — but before he could think of something proper to say, he blurts out, "Mau makan malam bersama saya nanti?" Judging from Ridwan's wide-eyed look, he feels equally surprised. Haidar is prepared for a rejection — not many people wants to go out with him, considering  _ how _ he looks and the fact that he has too many children —

But the man chuckles, shoulders shaking with mirth, and Haidar couldn't help but follow suit. "Nanti malam? Boleh." His eyes are now shining with amusement, and even though he has let go of Haidar's hand, he's still smiling. Ridwan pulls out a business card from his back pocket and offers it to Haidar.

"Ada nomor pribadi saya di balik kartu itu. Hubungi saya nanti?" He sounds hopeful and Haidar couldn't help but nods his head, feeling a little floaty.

"Sampai jumpa nanti malam," he says, a little breathless in relief and joy, and the smile Ridwan aims his way literally punches the air out of his lungs. Haidar stares at the man's retreating back, completely oblivious at the way his children have cluttered back around him with grins that promise mischief.

"Kita bakal punya bapak baru, Pak?" 

"Bapak senyum-senyum sendiri, ih."

"Bapak kaya anak remaja lagi kasmaran!"

"Nanti aku bilangin Kak Kamal kalau Bapak naksir om-om!"

Haidar sighs over their hushed whispers — he really has raised little monsters. Little monsters who brought Ridwan to him.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway im back with all this floof bs. ash is back in the business. no smut, no porn. just 3k words of unadulterated fluff and schmoop.


End file.
